vetero-testamentary

ve·te·ro-te·sta·ment·a·ry
UK/ˌvɛtəɹəʊˌtɛstəˈmɛntəɹi/UK/ˌvɛtɹəʊˌtɛstəˈmɛntɹi/US/ˌvɛtəɹoʊˌtɛstəˈmɛntəɹi/US[ˌvɛɾəɹoʊˌtɛstəˈmɛnɾəɹi]

adjective

Of or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible.

First used mid 20th c.

Meanings

adjectivevetero-testamentary (not comparable)

alternative veterotestamentary

  1. not comparableOf or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible.First known use mid 20th c.

    By this brief analysis of vetero-testamentary evolution of the notion of the altar we simply wish to show the solicitude for and importance of the altar for the Jews of old.

    1963 August, Peter Riga, “Origins and Meaning of the Christian Altar”, in The American Ecclesiastical Review, volume CXLIX, number 2, Washington, D.C.: The Catholic University of America Press, →ISSN, →OCLC, page 102
    5 more examples

    But whether the Christians knew, at the beginning, image-signs of Jewish making or only Jewish prayers with the formula: Save me as you have saved Noah, etc., the great proportion of veterotestamentary salvations in the catacombs and on the sarcophagi, but especially in the catacombs, makes it very probable that there was some initial Jewish contribution.

    1961, André Grabar, “The First Steps”, in Christian Iconography: A Study of Its Origins (The A. W. Mellon Lectures in the Fine Arts; Bollingen Series; XXXV.10), Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, →OCLC, page 11

    Episcopal benedictions generally occur before Communion during mass (after Communion, according to Gulielmus Durandus of Mende). These are inspired by the vetero-testamentary benediction of the Book of Numbers (6:22–26) and include three invocations, often rhythmic and rich with assonance, to which the people respond with "Amen."

    1983, Pierre-Marie Gy, “BENEDICTIONS”, in Joseph R[eese] Strayer, editor, Dictionary of the Middle Ages, volumes 2 (Augustinus Triumphus–Byzantine Literature), New York, N.Y.: Charles Scribner’s Sons, →ISBN, page 178, column 1

    Indeed, a determination that would limit itself to opposing the "true God" (icon) to the "false gods," in extending the polemic of the vetero-testamentary prophets, would not be suitable here.

    1991, Jean-Luc Marion, “The Idol and the Icon”, in Thomas A. Carlson, transl., God without Being […] (Religion and Postmodernism), Chicago, Ill.; London: University of Chicago Press, published 1995, →ISBN, pages 7–8

    One can go even further and remark that it is in the infancy stories, just where the humanity of the Messiah appears, that Luke picks up the veterotestamentary themes of the actual presence and the voice of God and applies them to Jesus.

    1995, François Bovon, “The Importance of Meditations in Luke’s Theological Plan”, in Jane Haapiseva-Hunter, transl., New Testament Traditions and Apocryphal Narratives, Eugene, Or.: Pickwick Publications, Wipf and Stock, published 22 October 2008, →ISBN, page 57

    Commentators have long remarked the legendary style of the account of preparation of the festive room by two disciples who meet a man carrying an urn of water who leads them to an unknown but providential landlord (Mk 14,12–16). This account is modelled on the vetero-testamentary episode of the recovery of the asses of Saul by Samuel (I Sam 10,3–6).

    Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity: Festschrift for Hartmut Stegemann for His 65th Birthday

    1999, Jean-Marie van Cangh, “Evolution in the Tradition of the Last Supper (Mk 14,22–26 and par.)”, in Bernd Kollmann, Wolfgang Reinbold, Annette Steudel, editors, Antikes Judentium und Frühes Christentum: Festschrift für Hartmut Stegemann zum 65. Geburtstag [Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity: Festschrift for Hartmut Stegemann for His 65th Birthday] (Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft und die Kunde der älteren Kirche [Supplements to the Journal for New Testament Studies and the Ancient Church]; 97), Berlin; New York, N.Y.: Walter De Gruyter, →ISBN, →ISSN, page 376

    Synonyms: Old Testamental, paleotestamentary

Synonyms & antonyms

adjectiveOf or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible.

Origin

  1. Latinvetus, veteris“ancient, old”
  2. Englishvetero-testamentary

PIE word *tréyes From Latin vetus, veteris (“ancient, old”) + English testamentary (“pertaining to a testament or will”).

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Czech starozákonní
  • starozákonníof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Dutch oudtestamentisch
  • oudtestamentischof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Finnish vanhatestamentillinen, Vanhan testamentin
  • vanhatestamentillinenof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
  • Vanhan testamentinof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
French vétérotestamentaire, paléotestamentaire
  • vétérotestamentaireof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
  • paléotestamentaireof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
German alttestamentlich
  • alttestamentlichof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Italian veterotestamentario
  • veterotestamentarioof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Polish starotestamentowy, starotestamentalny
  • starotestamentowyof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
  • starotestamentalnyof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
  • starozakonnyof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Russian ветхозаве́тный, старозаве́тный
  • ветхозаве́тный (vetxozavétnyj)of or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
  • старозаве́тный (starozavétnyj)of or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Slovak starozákonný
  • starozákonnýof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Spanish veterotestamentario
  • veterotestamentarioof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Swedish gammaltestamentlig
  • gammaltestamentligof or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible
Ukrainian старозаві́тний
  • старозаві́тний (starozavítnyj)of or pertaining to the Old Testament of the Bible

Rhymes & wordplay

Rhymes with vetero-testamentary

All rhymes →
Cite this entry
APA

vetero-testamentary. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vetero-testamentary

MLA

“vetero-testamentary.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vetero-testamentary. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “vetero-testamentary,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/vetero-testamentary.

Source: vetero-testamentary on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.